Pallet container



Dec, 13, 1966 J, P. FISCHER 3,291,364

PALLET CONTAINER Filed July 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 13,1966 J, P, FISCHER 3,291,364

PALLET CONTAINER Filed July 2, 1964 2 sheets-sheet z /Z 88g 8v 1*. @v 1". .er

United States Patent O 3,291,364 PALLET CONTAINER John P. Fischer, Wausau, Wis., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Packaging Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,852 Claims. (Cl. 229-6) This invention relates to pallet containers, and more particularly to pallet containers of the type which can be readily assembled and stacked vertically when lled with contents and readily knocked down when empty.

In the transportation and storage `of certain goods it is desirable to be able to readily move the load. To accomplish this, containers have been provided with underlying pallets for spacing the contents-supporting deck of the container from the ground to enable the tines of a fork-lift truck to enter below the deck for raising, transporting and lowering the container. One of the disadvantages of known containers is that they have not always been sufficiently sturdy in construction to support the loads contained therein during transportation and storage. Another disadvantage of containers of this type is that when they have been emptied, they have required an uneconornical amount of space during storage or reshipment back to the site of refilling. Heretofore, such disadvantages have only been overcome by container constructions which are unduly heavy and expensive.

Consequently, it is an object of this invention to provide a pallet container which is light in weight and at the same time sufliciently strong for its intended use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pallet container which has sufficient vertical strength when filled to enable two or more such containers to be stacked vertically on top of each other.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pallet container which may be quickly and easily assembled for use and which may when empty be readily knocked down and returned to the site of refilling.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pallet container, the parts of which, when assembled and filled, will be interlocked in such a manner as to prevent accidental collapse of the container, to eliminate the need for additional fastening devices or strapping and to provide for positive attachment on a reusable basis.

The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides a container comprising a bottom section, a body section, and a cover, said bottom section including a horizontal deck and retaining walls extend* ing upwardly from the periphery of said deck, means attached to said horizontal deck for maintaining said bottom section vertically spaced from the ground, said body section having foldable side walls and being receivable when in fully folded condition between said retaining walls, cooperating means on said retaining walls and side walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section is in expanded condition for storage of contents in said container, and said cover section being telescopically positionable both over said side walls when said body section is in said expanded condition and over said retaining walls when said body section in fully folded condition is positioned in said bottom section.

The structure and objects of this invention may be more thoroughly understood by those skilled in the art of packaging upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of an assembled container made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view (showing the outside surface) 3,291,364 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 ICC of one-half of the body section of the container prior to folding and assembly thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank for forming the bottom section of the container;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom and body sections of the container, the body section being shown in position just prior to interlocking engagement with the bottom section;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical sectional view taken along lines 5 5 of FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom section of the container;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the body section of the container in collapsed condition inside the bottom section thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of two containers of the invention in knocked-down condition and stacked for reshipment; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of two assembled containers ofthe invention stacked for storage.

Referring to FIG. l, there is shown a fully assembled container of the invention comprising a body section 10, a cover 12, and a bottom section 14. The body section 10 is formed from two identical blanks, one of which, 16, is shown in FIG. 2. Each body section portion 16 consists of a non-foldable side panel 18 and a foldable side panel 20, side panels 18 and 2t) being adjoined in the area of the vertical closely-spaced crease lines 24. The foldable side panels 20 are provided with a pair of closley-spaced centrally disposed foldable crease lines 26 whereby the side panels 20 may be folded as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The free ends of the foldable side panels 20 are provided with end iiaps 32 which are foldable inwardly at a pair of closely-spaced crease lines 34 whereby the two identical body section portions '16 may be joined together, such as by staples 36 (FIG. l), to form the complete body section. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the side panels 18 and 28 of the body section are provided with top liaps 28 which are foldable inwardly along the crease lines 30 to provide support for the cover 12 of the container when fully assembled.

The pair of blanks 16 for forming the body section of the container maybe a fibrous or other suitable material but is preferably corrugated to provide additional strength. In order to provide still further strength and rigidity, particularly when the container is filled and stacked for storage, wooden reinforcing strips are attached as by stapling to the side walls of the body section, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. Vertical strips 38 and 40 are attached to the non-foldable side panels 18 at each end thereof and extend substantially the full height of the side panels 18 on the interior side thereof. A third vertical strip 42 is also attached to the interior of each side panel 18 in the center thereof. Upper and lower horizontal reinforcing strips 44 and 46, which extend substantially the full length of each side panel 118 are provided on the exterior of each nonfoldable side panel 18 along the top and bottom edges thereof, respectively. The vertical reinforcing strips 38, 40 and 42 and the horizontal reinforcing strips 44 and 46 are secured to each side panel 18 by staples 48 which extend through the side panel and both the vertical and horizontal reinforcing strips in the areas where the reinforcing strips are superimposed with the side panel 18 interposed therebetween.

Each foldable side panel 2lb of the body section is similarly strengthened by reinforcing str-ips similarly attached thereto. Vertical reinforcing strips 50 and 52 are disposed at each end of the side panel 2t) on the interior side thereof, the strip 50 being spaced apart from the vertical strip 40 on the side panel 18 a distance slightly greater than the space between the crease lines 24. The

central portion of each foldable side panel 20 is reinforced on the interior side thereof by a pair of vertical reinforcing strips 56 which abut each other along their length on a line 57 disposed between the pair of crease lines 26 when the Ifoldable side panel 20 is in unfolded condition. A pair of upper reinforcing strips 59 and 61, positioned in spa-ced :apart end-to-end relationship and extending from the crease lines 26 in opposite directions along the upper edge of each foldable side panel 20, are also provided on the exterior thereof. Similarly, a pair of lower reinforcing strips 63 and 65, also positioned in end-to-end abutting relationship and extending Ifrom line l57 in opposite directions, are provided along the lower edge of each foldable side panel 20 on the exterior thereof. The vertical reinforcing strips 50, 52 and 56 and the horizontal reinforcing strips 59, 61, 63 and 65 are secured to each foldable side panel 20 by staples 71 which extend through the side panel and both t-he vertical and horizontal strips in the areas where the reinforcing strips are superimposed with this side panel interposed therebetween.

The bottom section 14 of the container, FIGS. 3 and 6, is preferably also formed from a blank 58 of corrugated fibrous material. The blank 58 comprises a bottom panel or deck 60 having opposed pairs of side panels 62 and 64 extending therefrom along the crease lines 66 and 68, respectively. The side panels 64 are each provided with a pair of end fiaps 70 by means of which the side panels 64 may be secured, as by staples 73, to the side panels 62 when th-e blank 58 is folded to the position shown in FIG. 6. It should be noted that the inside dimensions of the bottom section are sufficient to permit the body section when completely folded or knocked down to be received in the bottom section for reshipment to the site of refilling.

According to an alternative construction designed to provide increased corner strength of the bottom section 14, each of the side panels 62 and 64 may be provided with a pair of triangular end flaps (not shown), in lieu of the end flaps 70, by means of which the respective side panels may be secured to each other, as by staples, when the blank is folded to the position shown in FIG. 6.

The bottom section 14 of the container is supported in spaced relationship above the ground by means of a pallet construction comprising nine wooden spacer blocks 72 which are arranged in three rows having three spacer blocks each, one block being positioned at each corner of the bottom panel, another being positioned midway of each side of the bottom panel, and one (not shown) being located in the center of the bottom panel. The spacer blocks 72 are maintained in horizontal spacedapart relationship by means of three wooden stringers 74 extending transversely of the bottom panel 60 and secured to the bottoms of the spacer blocks 72 by means of staples 76, as shown in FIG. 5. The spacer blocks 72 are further maintained in horizontal spaced-apart relationship by means of three longitudinally extending stringers 78 which are secured by means of staples 80 which extend through the bottom panel 60, the stringers 78 and into the spacer blocks 72.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side panels 62 and 64 of the bottom section 14 have four horizontal wooden strips 82 secured longitudinally by means of staples 84 along the upper edges of these side panels, thestrips 82 being spaced above the bottom panel 60 a distance slightly greater than the width of the strips 46 secured to the side panels 18 `and 20 of the body section 16. The relative dimensions of the bottom panel 60 of the bottom section 14 and the corresponding dimensions of the side panels 18 and 20 of the body section are such that when the body section is fully expanded or unfolded the strips 46, 63 and 65 on the side walls of the body section will underlie the strips 82 of the side panels 62 of the bottom section 14 to interlock the body section and bottom section, thereby preventing accidental disassembly thereof when the container is fully assembled and filled with contents. Such interlocking arrangement also eliminates the need for additional fastening devices or strapping and provides for positive attachment on a reusable basis.

The -cover 12 of the container may also be formed from a fibrous corrugated blank (not shown) similar to the blank 58 for forming the bottom section of the container. However, the cover 12 need not be provided with any reinforcing strips. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the width and length of the top panel 86 of the cover 12 are slightly larger than the respective dimensions of the bottom panel 60 of the bottom section 14 so that the downwardly extending side panels 88 of the cover 12 may be telescoped downw-ardly over the upper reinforcing strips 44, 59 and 61 on the body section when the body section is fully unfolded and also downwardly over t-he side panels 62 and 64 of the bottom section 14 after the container has been emptied and the body section fully collapsed and received in the bottom section 14 (FIGS. 7 and 8) for reshiprnent to the site of refilling.

It will be noted that the several verti-cally disposed reinforcing strips 38, 40, 42, 50, 52 and 56 attached to the body section 16 are each positioned directly above one of the spacer lblocks 72 so as to provide the container with greater vertical strength and to permit the stacking of the containers, particularly when loaded, as shown in FIG. 9, without bulging the side walls of the container or crushing the lower containers in the stack.

It will thus be seen that a pallet container has been provided for shipping and storage of material which is both light in weight, sufiiciently strong for its intended use and economical in its cost. The container provided by the invention is seen to be quickly yand easily assembled for use and may when empty be readily knocked down for reshiprnent to the site of refilling. There has also been provided in such a container, means -for interlocking certain parts thereof to prevent accidental disassembly of the container.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown herein, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as to fall Within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a bottom section and a body section, said bottom section including a horizontal deck and retaining walls extending upwardly from the periphery yof said deck, adjacent pairs of said retaining walls being secured together at their ends in perpendicular relationship, means attached to said horizontal deck for maintaining said Ibottom section vertically spaced from the ground, said body section having I.a pair of foldable walls and a pair of non-foldable walls and being receivable when in fully folded condition between said retaining walls, and cooperating means on said retaining walls and side walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section s in expanded condition for storage of contents in said container, said cooperating means including a first set of lhorizontal strips secured to said walls of said body section along the bottom edges thereof -and a second set of horizontal strips secured to said retaining walls at a distance Iabove said deck slightly greater than the width of said first set of horizontal strips.

2. A container comprising a bottom section, a body section, and a cover, said bottom section including a horizontal deck and retaining walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said deck, adjacent pairs of said retaining walls being secured together at their ends in perpendicular relationship, said body section having a pair of foldable walls :and a pair of non-fold-able walls and being receivable when in yfully folded condition between said retaining walls, cooperating means on said retaining walls and side walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section is in expanded condition for storage of contents in said container, said cooperating means including a first set of horizontal strips secured to said walls of said body section lalong the bottom edges thereof and a second set of horizontal strips secured to said retaining walls at a distance above said deck slightly greater than the width o-f said rst set of horizontal strips, and said cover section being telescopically position-able both over said side walls when said body section is in said expanded condition and over said retaining walls when said body section in fully folded condition is positioned in said bottom section.

3. A container comprising a bottom section, la body section, and a cover, said bottom section including a horizontal deck and retaining walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said deck, 'adjacent pairs of said retaining wialls being secured together fat their ends in perpendicular relationship, means attached to sai-d horizontal deck for maintaining said bottom section vertically spaced from the ground, said body section having a pair of foldable walls and a pair of non-foldable walls and being receivable when in fully folded condition between said retaining walls, cooperating means on said retaining walls and side Walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section is in expanded condition Afor storage of contents in said container, said cooperating means including a first set of horizontal strips secured to said walls of said body section `along the bottom edges thereof and a second set of horizontal strips secured to said retaining walls lat a distance above said deck slightly greater than the width of said first set of horizontal strips, Iand said cover section bein-g telescopically positionable both over -said side walls when said body section is in said expanded condition and over said retaining walls when said body section in `fully folded condition is positioned in Isaid bottom section.

4. A container comprising a :bottom section, a body section, and a cover, said bottom section including a horizontal deck and retaining Walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said deck, means including a plurality of spacer blocks attached to said horizontal deck for maintaining said bottom section vertically spaced from the ground, said body section having a pair of fold-able walls and a pair of non-foldable walls and being receivable when in fully folded condition between said retaining walls, said walls of said body section having a plurality of vertical reinforcing strips secured thereto,

each of said reinforcing strips extending upwardly from directly above one of said spacer blocks when the container is fully assembled, cooperating means on said retaining walls and side walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section is in expanded condition for storage of contents in said container, said cooperating means including a first set -of horizontal strips secured to said walls of said body section along the bottom edges thereof and Ia second set of horizontal strips secured t-o said retaining walls at a distance above said deck slightly greater than the width of said first set of horizontal strips, and said cover section being telescopically positiona'ble both over said side walls when said body section is in said expanded condition and over said retaining walls when said body section in fully folded condition is positioned in said bottom section.

5. A container comprising 'a bottom section and a body section, said bottom section including a horizontal deck 4and retaining walls extending upwardly from the periphery of said deck, means including a plurality of spacer blocks attached to said horizontal deck for maintaining s-aid bottom section vertically spaced 4from the ground, said body section having a pair of foldable walls and a pair of non-foldable walls and being receivable when in fully folded condition between said retaining Walls, said walls of said body section having a plurality of vertical reinforcing strips secured thereto, each of said reinforcing strips extending upwardly from directly above one of said spacer blocks when the cont-ainer is fully assembled, rand cooperating means on said retaining walls and side walls for interlocking said bottom and body sections when said body section is in expanded condition for storage of contents in said container, said cooperating means including a iirst set of horizontal strips secured to said walls of said body section along the bottom edges thereof and a second set of horizontal strips secured to said retaining walls at -a distance above said deck slightly y.greater than the width o-f said iirst set of horizontal strips.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,384,065 7/ 1921 Hirschwitz 229-41 2,730,287 1/ 1956 Mueller 229-23 X 2,887,241 5/ 1959 Mackenzie.

2,902,202 9/ 1959 Fallert 229-23 2,965,276 12/ 1960 Foster 229-23 3,010,633 11/1961 Reher 229-23 X GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A BOTTOM SECTION AND A BODY SECTION, SAID BOTTOM SECTION INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL DECK AND RETAINING WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DECK, ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID RETAINING WALLS BEING SECURED TOGETHER AT THEIR ENDS IN PERPENDICULAR RELATIONSHIP, MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID HORIZONTAL DECK FOR MAINTAINING SAID BOTTOM SECTION VERTICALLY SPACED FROM THE GROUND, SAID BODY SECTION HAVING A PAIR OF FOLDABLE WALLS AND A PAIR OF NON-FOLDABLE WALLS AND BEING RECEIVABLE WHEN IN FULLY FOLDED CONDITION BETWEEN SAID RETAINING WALLS, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID RETAINING WALLS AND SIDE WALLS FOR INTERLOCKING SAID BOTTOM AND BODY SECTIONS WHEN SAID 